Wind instruments



Dec. l5, 1964 J. DE LANCIE ETAL WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 8, 1962 John de anc/'e M f w. :lli 1?!! l,

United States Patent O This invention or discovery relates to wind instruments and is particularly useful in the class of musical instruments designated wood-winds, being especially signicant to the oboe; and it will be applied as to the oboe that the invention will be 1nerein fully disclosed in detail, by way of preferred example.

The primary object ot the invention is the improvement of the relative intonation of different portions oit the range of the instrument while at the same time maintaining or improving the character and quality ot the tone produced by the instrument. "the significance ot the invention or discovery in this important respect will be more readily seen after consideration oi certain basic deficiencies of wind instruments as heretofore known.

lt is well known that various tones in the scale of a wind instrument tend to be oil-pitch with relation to other tones, and that the player must make adjustments for this, as by alterations in yair pressure, lip tension or pressure, lingering, et cetera. ln certain instruments, a tone or group of tones in one portion of the range or the instrument will tend to be off-pitch with relation to a corresponding tone or group ot' tones in a second portion of the range intended to be an octave higher or lower; so that there is not a perfect octave relationship. This problem is especially troublesome in the oboe, particularly in connection with the pitch relation between the low-register tones from B-iiat to E-tlat (on the one hand) and the high-register tones from B-tlat to E-tlat (on the other hand). Low-register B-flat here means the B-flat below middle C, and high-register Eilat means the B-ilat which should sound a perfect octave above the low B-lat.

Prior to the present invention, the dillerence in pitch between any one of the above-mentioned group of notes in one register (on the oboe) and the corresponding note of the specilled group in the other register has regularly been greater than a perfect octave. By careful proportioning of the length and the continuously-unitorin taper of the bore, throughout the arca ot the bore penetrated by the tone-holes (now usually twenty in number), and by various adjustments or the size, shape and location of the tone-holes, the oboe maker has been able to obtain a reasonable degree of accuracy in the pitch relationship between the various ytones from B-ilat to l-ilat in either one of the two registers above-mentioned, but the octave relationship between those tones and the corresponding tones of the other register has been greater than a perfect octave.

Accordingly, the oboe maker has been :faced with the choice of proportioning the oboe to give substantially accurate pitch to the critical group of tones (generally to l-llat) in the low register, with the result that corresponding critical group` in high registn will be too sharp; or proportioning the instrument to give .substantially accurate pitch to the said group of tones in the high register, with a resulting ilat intonation ot the corresponding group in the lower register. Since the first oboist or solo oboist must play the critical notes in the upper register with much greater frequency than the corresponding notes in the lower register, it is almost universal for the oboe maker tol so proportion the instrument als to favor the accuracy of the upper portion of the range, with the inevitable result that the playing of the lower octave (especially the critical group of notes) with accuracy of intonation has presented enormous dit@ "ice culties to the oboist. ln addition, because of this characteristic ot the instrument and also because of the adjustments ot embouchure, air pressure, and the like, which must accordingly be made by the player, the several notes at the lowest part of the range tend to burble or oscillate in pitch, giving what is sometimes called doubletalk, which of course represents a decided impairment of the tone quality and character of the instrument. Hence the lot of the second oboist in a symphony orchestra (who customarily plays in the lower portions of the oboes range) has been particularly diiiicult,

ln accordance with the present invention or discovery, ne diilculties above described are minimized or subobviated by a special contouring ot the bore of -the i slrurncnt a particular intermediate region of the length ther-coi. More particularly', these advantages are secured by the incorporation of an abrupt change of bore diameter at a certain point in said region and/ or by the incorporation, said region, of a bore taper angle d'" rent from the angle of taper of the immediately preceding portion et the bore. lt is believed that each of these two features, of itselt, contributes to the ultimate result, but that the two in combination coact to produce the most accurate octave relationship throughout the scale and a decided improvement in the character, quality and ease ot' production of the lowerrnost tones of the instrument.

The location ot the abrupt change of bore diameter, and the character and disposition ot the bore sections of two different or" taper may be described in relation to several of the areas and physical parts of the instrunient. Tlrus, ii we consider the over-all length of the instrument (from the tip of the reed of the mouthpiece to the end of the bel the abrupt change in bore diameter, accommg to the present invention, should be made at a location in the middle lthird of the length of the instrument and preferably fairly close to the mid-point of that length. lf adjacent segments of the bore are respectively provided with different angles of taper, each segment having :its own uniform taper, according to the present invention the juncture of those two segments is made at a location in the middle third and preferably fairly close to themidpoint ot the over-all length of the instrument. When either or both the features referred to are employed, the location above-described may for eonvena ience be termed the critical location or the critical point. When we consider the region ol the bore of an oboe ex tending from the uppermost torehole to the lowerrnost tonohole (in an oboe having twenty tone-holes), the best practice of the invention is to so locate both the abruat change ot bore diameter and the meeting of said ln ditlerent oboes, it may be necessary to have some variation in the location o the point of abrupt change in bore diameter and/or location of change in angle of bore taper. This possible variation may best be described with reference to the hree parts or joints of which the oboe usually consists. Taking these three parts as the length of the instrument proper (rnnittinsJ the mouthpiece or reed), the critical point hereinabove referred .to will generally be found to be at a point between one-third and one-halt the length of the bore ot the instrument, nicasured from the commencement of the tapered bore, immediately subiacent the mouthpiece.

ln the vaverage 'oboe of today, excellent results in accordance with the present invention may be obtained by arbitrarily placing the critical point at or fairly close to the iuncture of the ,upper ioint and the lower joint as hereinafter delried.

Still more specitlcally, as to the oboe, the practice of the present invention or discovery involves an abrupt aislada increase in bore diameter at the critical point, while at the same time the angle of taper of the bore from the critical pointidownwards is correspondingly reduced as compared with the angle of taper of the bore thereabove, in order to obtain substantial accuracy of the entire scale ot the instrument.

How the invention is put into practice in an oboe, and how the objects and advantages hereinabove set forth are obtained, will appear more ully from the detailed description of a typical embodiment of the invention as hereinafter given, when taken together with the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an oboe, drawn to less than half scale, with the mouthpiece inserted in the upper end (the reed portion of the mouthpiece being indicated in phantom outline, with a portion broken out), this view showing the relative locations and relative sizes of the twenty tone-holes, also showing a number of the valves and a fragmentary indication of valve operating mechanism; the instrument as illustrated incorporating the present invention or discovery in the best embodiment at present known;

FlGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section (which, in the original patent application drawing, is on a scale twice actual size) showing the separable connection between the upper segment or upper joint (as it is commonly termed) of the instrument and the next adjacent segment (commonly termed lower joint);

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of FlGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a broken-away exploded longitudinal sectional view showing portions of the three cooperating segments of the oboe, generally termed upper joint, lower joint, and bell joint, illustrating clearly the separable connections or couplings between said joints (this View being rawn to actual size, on the original patent application drawing).

Before proceeding with the features which are novel with the present invention or discovery, as applied to the oboe, we will briefly describe certain characteristics of oboes in general.

Although in oboes of different models, periods, or makes, there would be differences from one instrument to another, the latter differences, i.e. differences between one oboe and another in current use, would be negligible, so far as concerns over-all length, general shape and proportions, diameter of bore at the point where the mouthpiece is seated, diameter of bore where the bell is coupled to the lower joint, outlet diameter of bell, etc. Prior to the present invention or discovery, it has been customary to make the oboe bore of a continuous uniform taper, from the point where the mouthpiece is seated down to the lower end of the lower joint, and usually down to a location part way down into the bell joint; and for the last hundred years or more, it has been customary to employ fairly standard bore diameters at certain locations in this truncated conical bore, i.e. about 4 millimeters diameter at the upper end of said uniformly As above indicated, the uniformly-tapered portion ot y the bore customarily extends partivay down into the upper end of the bell joint, so that the initial taper therein (down to a point about 17 or 18 millimeters below the seating point of the lower joint within the bell joint) is a direct continuation of the taper of the bore above it. However, from that point downwards, the bore of the bell joint normally flares substantially, as shown at F, so that at the extreme lower end of the instrument the diameter of the opening may be 35 or more millimeters.

ln the drawings, the upper joint of an oboe is shown at U, the lower joint at L and the bell joint at B. (Sometimes the section or joint L is termed the middle joint and the bell joint B termed the lower joint-but to avoid confusion we will herein regularly apply the term lower joint L only to the intermediate section oi the instrument, and will regularly designate the bottom section as the bell joint B.) What is sometimes termed the mouthpiece and sometimes termed the reed is shown at the upper end at M. This usually comprises a tapered metal tube or 7ferrule 5' (also termed staple) having a reed 6 secured thereto, said tube being surrounded at its lower end by a cork facing 7 which forms an airtight lit within the metal sleeve S inside the shouldered upper end 9 of the instrument proper (see FIG. 4). The reed, as shown, is partly broken away, so that it appears to be shortened.

The upper joint U has a series of tone-holes (10 in number) of varying sizes and variously located, these being indicated at l1. These holes are opened and closed by the valves or keys 12, normally actuated by the valve operating mechanism, small fragments of which are shown at Similar tone-holes of various sizes and varying locations communicate with the bore of the lower section L, as indicated at 1.1', there being typically nine of them in the lower joint L. The lowest tone-hole 11" is disposed in the upeer end of the bell joint B. Valves 12 for these tone-holes are or course also provided.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, the coupling or connection between the upper joint U and the lower joint L comprises a socket portion S, provided at the upper end of the lower joint L, and a tenon portion T provided at the lower end of the upper joint U. Metallic sleeves 1 4, 1d and 15 may be supplied at this connection, in accordance with standard practice, together with a cork sleeve lo to malte an air-tight seal.

A. similar mode of connection may be employed between the lower joint L and the bell joint B, as indicated by the socket SIZ and the tenon T2. Metallic sleeves and cork sleeve may also be employed at that connectionthe same heini7 unnumbered in the drawings, but being similar to the parts 1.4, 1d' and 115, except as to details of size and shape.

Certain dimensions, typical of oboes in use today (though subject to some variation) are as follows:

From point a (at the tip of the reed) to point b (Where the instrument proper commences) is about 79 milli` meters. (This distance appears less than in proportion to other distances shown, because the reed 6 has been broken away, as indicated.) From point b to point c (where the reed or mouthpiece seats on a shoulder inside the instrument) is about 19 millimeters. From point c to point d (at the shoulder or base of the tenon T) is about 213 millimeters. From point d to point e (the seating surface of the inturned iiange of the metal sleeve l5) is about 18 millimeters. From point e to point f (the base of tenon T2) is about 221 millimeters. From point f to point g (the seating surface of the ilange at the bottom of tenon T2) is about 17 millimeters. From point gto point h (where the llare within the bell b commences) is about 18 millimeters. From point h, where liare F begins, to point z' (the lowermost end of the bell) is about 91 millimeters. With the parts of the instrument all assembled, the overall length from point a to point i is -thus about 676 millimeters.

ln the usual oboe, the bore, through a distance from point or location c to point or location h is of one continuous uniform taper. In other words, it is a truncated continuous cone, in the ordinary oboe. This conical bore (of continuous taper in the ordinary instrument) measures approximately 487 millimeters, from c to h. As to diameter, said conical bore normally measures about 4 millimeters at point c, about l() millimeters at point e,

lower section L, is at a location not quite halfway down from point c to` point Iz, but it may be taken roughly as the mid-point of the standard conical bore, and it will be noted that ten of the tone-holes are above point e and ten of them (inclusive of the hole l1" in the bell joint) are below the point e.

Considering the instrument as a whole (from point a to point i) the point e is in the middle third of the length, though not exactly at the mid-point. When one considers the bore only, of the instrument proper, Athat is, the total bore from the base of the reed to the bottom of the bell (i.e. from point c to point i), it will be found that the coupling or junction point e, in nearly all oboes today, lies between one-third and one-half of the distance down from the upper end of said total bore. This is a factor which is put to practical use in connection with the present invention or discovery, as applied tothe oboe, as will hereinafter appear.

In applying the invention to instruments other than the oboe (eg. the English horn or the bassoon) the shapes, sizes, proportions, and relative disposition and arrangement, of the parts would of course be quite different from those for the oboe; but the oboe will serve very well as the typical example for the application of the invention, especially in view of the extremely dilcult problems in the matter of the octave relationship and the quality of low tones, as discussed in the initial part of this speoiiication.

In applying the invention or discovery to the oboe, ac-

cording to the best embodiment at present known, we

introduce an abrupt change in bore diameter, at a point (hereinbefore referred to as the critical point) which by experiment has been found to be, for satisfactory results, between about one-third and one-half of the distance from the small end toward the large end of the total bore of the instrument (as measured from the seating shoulder for the mouthpiece down to the outlet end of the bell), which places it within the middle third of the instrument (as measured from the tip of the reed to the outlet end of the bell). The preferred location of said abrupt change, for the best results in todays oboe of otherwise average dimensions, is found to be just slightly above the mid-point of said overall length-approximately to l5 millimeters above said mid-point. At or near the same location, the second taper angle is introduced, and this is extended downwardly through approximately the next 30 to 40% of the over-all length of the instrument, so that the said second taper extends at least down to the lower end of the lower joint, or, for best results, down to a point about 18 millimeters below the bottom of the shoulder or socket of the bell joint.

The abrupt change in bore, for the average oboe of today, should be an increase in diameter amounting to somewhere between Iii/2% and 8% of the normal diameter at the critical point. For example, when the normal bore diameter at the lowerrnost end of the upper joint U is l() millimeters, the bore immediately below that (i.e., the bore of lower joint L, commencing at location e) is increased to lOl/z millimeters diameter. This 5% increase, at the point indicated, is sutlicient for the purposes of the present invention, especially if the taper angle of the bore from point e down to point h-or at least down to point g--is made smaller than the taper angle of the bore from point c to point e. This may be done by employing the normal bore dimension at h (typically 16.5 mm.) and boring out the instrument from e to h at such continuous taper angle as will produce a bore diameter of 10.5 mm. at point e and 16.5 mm. at point h.

The resulting shouldered effect in the'bore of the instrument is clearly seen at SH in the cross-sectional View of FIGURE 3, which is a view looking up into the bore, from a point at the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2, i.e, from immediately below the location e of FGURE 1. In FIGURE 3, the conical bore C of upper joint U is clearly seen, and its normal dimensions of 4 millimeters at the uppermost end and 10 millimeters at its lower end are indicated. The conical bore C', extending from location e to location h, in FIG. l, is indicated in FIG. 3 by fulline and dotted-line circles, the one marked 10,5 being the lOl/2 mm. diameter of the upper end of said bore (correspending to location e in FIGURE l) and the dotted circle, marked 16.5, representing the 1.61/2 mm. diameter (corresponding to location h in the bell joint B) Typical bore dimensions of an oboe embodying the present irlvention are also indicated at the right of FIG. 4.

Alternatively, the bore from g to h, in the bell joint E may remain normal (typically 16 mm. at point g and 161/2 mm. at point h), in which event the joint L is bored at such a taper that the bore diameter is lOl/2 mm. at point e and 16 mm. at point g. By following this latter procedure, not only is the upper joint U of the instrument made to heretofore normal contours and bore dimensions, but so also is the entire bell joint B, i.e. with its usual conical bore from g to lz and its usual ilare F from Iz to i.

Accordingly, it is possible to convert an existing oboe to one largely conforming with our invention or discovery; by leaving the upper joint U and the bell joint B in their original condition, and re-boring only the lower joint L, to a new angle of taper, from location e down to location g, in such a way that the bore is made larger at said upper' end while retaining its originally existing diameter at the lower end, thereby at the same time producing the desired abrupt increase in bore diameter at the point of coupling of the upper joint with the lower joint.

ln putting the invention into practice, it is not necessary to make any change in the materials of which the instrument is made. lf the oboe is made of the usual closegrained hardwoods, of a character to produce a pleasing tone quality of the desired degree of mellowness, the incorporation therein of the novel bore characteristics of the present invention or discovery will maintain the desirable tone quality, and in general will actually enhance the same in the lower register, while at the same time reducing the tendency to disortion or burbling of the lowermost tones, rendering much truer the octave relationship between the critical group of tones in the high register and the corresponding critical group of tones in the low register, and finally, as a consequence of those advantages, rendering the instrument easier to play.

We claim:

1. A wind instrument having a tapered bore throughout most of its length, and having a plurality of controllable tone-holes disposed therealong including a lowermost series of tone-.roles for the lowest octave of which the instrument is capable, the bore diameter progressively changing and having its minimum diameter adjacent the mouthpiece end of the instrument and its maximum diameter adjacent the other end, and said bore further having an abrupt change of bore diameter at a location near the upper end of said lowerrnost series of tone-holes.

2, A wind instrument having a tapered bore throughout most of its length, and having a plurality of controllable tone-holes disposed therealong including a lowermost series of tone-holes for the lowest octave of which the instrument is capable, the bore diameter progressively changing and having its minimum diameter adjacent the mouthpiece end of the instrument and its maximum diameter adjacent the other end, and said bore further having an abrupt change of bore diameter at a location near the upper end of said lowermost series of tone-holes; the instrument comprising separable sections coupled together adjacent said location where the abrupt change of bore diameter occurs.

3. A wind instrument having a tapered bore throughout most of its length, and having a plurality of controllable ktone-holes disposed therealong including a lowermost series of tone-holes for the lowest octave of which the instrument is capable, two adjacent segments of said bore having different taper angles, one of said segments ex- 'F tending throughout most of the distance occupied by said lowermost series of tone-holes being of one uniform taper angle, and the immediately superjacent segment being oi another uniform taper angle.

4. A Wind instrument having a tapered bore throughout most of its length, and having a plurality of controllable tone-holes disposed therealong including a lowermost series of tone-holes for the lowest octave of which the instrument is capable, two adjacent segments of said bore having ditlerent taper angles, one of said segments extending throughout most of the distance occupied by said lowermost series of tone-holes being of one uniform taper angle, and the immediately superjacent segment being of another uniform taper angle; the instrument comprising separable sections coupled together adjacent to the juncture of said two diflerently-tapered segments of the bore.

5. A wind instrument having a tapered bore throughout most of its length, said bore having .different angles of taper in different segments of its length, and having a plurality of controllable tone-holes disposed therealong, including a lowermost series for the lowest octave of which the instrument is capable, and said bore further having a shoulder adjacent the juncture of the dierent tapers, and said shoulder being near that location in the length of the bore which corresponds to an octave of pitch above the lowermost pitch of the instrument.

6. A wind instrument having a generally tapered bore and having a mouthpiece at one end and a bell at the opposite end, said instrument having a uniform taper from adjacent the mouthpiece to a location about the midpoint of the total length of the bore and at said location having an abrupt change of bore diameter, and said bore w having a uniform taper from said location to the bell of the instrument.

7. A Wind instrument of oboe type, having an upper joint and a lower joint, separably coupled, each joint having a bore of substantially uniform taper, a series of toneholes approximately evenly divided between said two joints, the minimum eiective bore diameter at the upper end of the lower joint being larger than the maximum ctie/tive bore diameter at the lower end of the upper joint, and the ratio of said two specied bore diameters being approximately 10.5 to 1G.

8. A wind instrument of oboe type, having an upper joint and a lower joint, separably coupled, each joint having a bore ot substantially uniform taper, a series of toneholes approximately evenly divided between said two joints, the minimum effective bore diameter at the upper end of the lower joint being about 31/2% to 8% larger than the maximum effective bore diameter at the lower end of the upper joint, and the taper angle of the bore of the lower joint being less than the taper angle of the bore of the upper joint.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,748 6/91 Light 84-386 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,441 1900 Great Britain. 364,648 111/22 Germany. 701,591 1/31 France. 336,162 7/ 5 S Switzerland.

LEG SMLOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WIND INSTRUMENT HAVING A TAPERED BORE THROUGHOUT MOST OF ITS LENGTH, AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLABLE TONE-HOLES DISPOSED THEREALONG INCLUDING A LOWERMOST SERIES OF TONE-HOLES FOR THE LOWEST OCTAVE OF WHICH THE INSTRUMENT IS CAPABLE, THE BORE DIAMETER PROGRESSIVELY CHANGING AND HAVING ITS MINIMUM DIAMETER ADJACENT THE MOUTHPIECE END OF THE INSTRUMENT AND ITS MAXIMUM DIAMETER ADJACENT THE OTHER END, AND SAID BORE FURTHER HAVING 